Process of removing acid-reaction products from oil



UNITED "STATES ,P

. JOHN C. BLACK, OF DESTREIIAN, LOUISIANA, WIRT D. RIAL, OF LOS ANGELES Patented Au '20, 1929..

COUNTY, AND JOHN R. MCCONNELL, OF WHI'ITIER, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO PAN AMERICAN PETROLEUM COMPANY, OF 'LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, COR- PORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF REMOVING ACID-REACTION PRODUCTS FROM OILw ATENT' OFFICE. 4

No Drawing. Original application filed. October 13, 1926, Serial No. 141,421. Divided and this application I filed October 13, 1926.

1 This application is adivision of application No. 141,421 filed Oct. 13, 1926.

\ The process of this application is directed to a method of purifying oils, particularly to a method of treatin oils in which the oil is treated with an acid, such as sulphuric acid for the purpose of improving the quality of the oil.

As is well known, petroleum distillates are treated with sulphuric acid for the purpose of removing bodies present in the distillates, which bodies impart objectionable qualities to the oil. The treatment of the oil with sulphuric acid converts certain portions ofothe oil into a heavy, tarry material, which settles out from the oil if allowed to stand. This product is termed facid sludge. The oil, however, contains, even after prolonged settling, considerable acid material. For in: stance, it contains a coarse suspensoid of sulphonated bodies, and minute, almost colv loidal particles of free sulphuric acid. This leum pitches, for instances, asphalt, petrodispersion of acid material in the oil is termed peppery sludge It is desirable to remove as much of this acid material as-possible blefore treating with a neutralizing medium, in order that the amount of neutralizing .medium necessary. shall be reduced to as low a point as possible.

It is therefore an object of our invention to devise a method for removing this residual acid material which. remains dispersed in the oil after the settling of the acid sludge.

' W e have found that pitches, such as petroleulm coke, and coal tar pitches, act to agglomerate and coagulate this peppery sludge.

v hard coal tar Serial No. 141,422.

tralizing and with a decolorizing medium or I a decolorizing medium alone.

The pitch may be introduced in either a liquid or a solid condition. In employing the pitch in a liquid form, the melted pitch is introduced into the oil, heated above or at the melting point of the pitch, the mixture is then heated if necessary, to 300 F. more or less, uniform admixture of the oil and pitch insured, and the treatment finished as above described.

It will be found that the amount of neutralizing medium employed is considerably less than that which must be employed ifthe peppery sludge is not first agglomerated by the treament above described. It will be found that by employing suflicient amount of the agglomerant the oil may be rendered free of acid bodies and be neutral. We also found that the reaction is affected where heat is applied but'willoperate at ordinary temperatures. The amount of agglomerant employed dependsfon the viscosity of the oil,

the amount of peppery sludge in the oil and on the temperatur The pitch, however, may be employed in a solid condition, inwhich case the pitch is disintegrated into a powder of about 60 mesh. It is then'introduced into the oil, treated as above described. If a decolorizing and neutralizing clay is employed in the purification of the oil, the oil, after the removal of the acid sludge, may

be treated with a mixtureof neutralizing and decolorizing clay containing the required proportion of powdered pitch. The

oil is heated to about 300 F. more or less, as is usual in the treatment with neutralizing and decolorizing clay, audit will be found that the peppery sludge is agglomerated and coalesced, and that the amount of neutralizing clay necessary is less that which must be employed if the pitch were not used.

We claim:

1. A process of purifying petroleum oil dist-illates, comprising, treating a petroleum oil distillate with sulphuric acid, separating the acid sludge, and treating the separated oil with a coal tar pitch to precipitate the peppery sludge remaining in the oil.

2. A process of purifying petroleum oil distillates, comprising, treating a petroleum oil distillate with sulphuric acid, and treating the acid treated oil with a coal tar pitch to separate the acid reaction products present in the oil and removing the thus purified oil.

3. A process of purifying petroleum oil distillates, comprising, treating a petroleum oil distillate with sulphuric acid, and treating said acid treated oil with a coal tar pitch at an elevated temperature to precipitate acid reaction products in said oil.

Jr. A process of purifying petroleum oil distillates, comprising, treating a petroleum oil distillate with sulphuric acid, separating the acid sludge, and treating the said sepa-v rated oil at an elevated temperature with a coal tar pitch to precipitate .the peppery sludge remainin inthe oil and separating the purified oil rrom said precipitate.

- JOHN 0. BLACK.

WIRT D. RIAL. JOHN R. MCCONNELL. 

